The House on Hollow Hill

By David Kristoph and Danny McAleese

After a hundred years of standing tall and alone, tomorrow the House on Hollow Hill will be bulldozed. Yet the owner, Mr. Goosen, is giving you one last chance to explore inside and take one treasure of your choosing!

With your friends Jake and Emma, you have one final chance to explore the house and find the best treasure from one of Mr. Goosen's many adventures. But you quickly learn the House on Hollow Hill has a secret. Can you survive the house's ghastly occupants? Or will you fall victim to their tricks?

• Language: English
• Publisher: David Kristoph
• Release date: Apr 3, 2016
• ISBN: 9781311804839

David Kristoph

David Kristoph lives in Virginia with his wonderful wife and two not-quite German Shepherds. He's a fantastic reader, great videogamer, good chess player, average cyclist, and mediocre runner.He's also a member of the Planetary Society, patron of StarTalk Radio, amateur astronomer and general space enthusiast. He writes mostly Science Fiction and Fantasy.

Book preview

7

Welcome to the House on Hollow Hill!

You are MIKE THOMPSON, a highschooler in upstate New York. You're walking down the street with your friends Emma and Jake, admiring the autumn leaves on the trees lining the neighborhood.

Jake lets out a big sigh. Let's go back to the field, he says, tossing a baseball back and forth with himself. I want to practice my curveball.

Emma laughs. You're the only kid who spends all day at school and wants to go back for more.

"I don't want to go back to school, I want to go back to the field outside of the school. He turns to you. Come on Mike, you promised you'd play catch."

You shake your head at him. I'll play catch with you this weekend. I need to get home and practice the piano. You have a test for music class tomorrow.

Jake sighs dramatically. That's not what you promised.

Leave off, Jake, Emma says. I'm in Mrs. Baramule's class and have to practice too. She's strict! Can you believe she failed my sister for confusing a C with a C-sharp? She rolled her eyes to let you know what she thought about that.

Fine. But the next time you need help with anything...

8

The massive house on the corner, old and decrepit, looms over you. I heard old Mr. Goosen is moving out, you say.

Emma says, Wow. He's lived in that house his whole life.

"He looks like he's lived there an entire century," Jake says.

Suddenly there is a voice behind you. Most of a century, in fact! says Mr. Goosen. You whirl to face him and he smiles. He's wearing a tweed jacket on top of overalls, and his white hair hangs down his back. Eighty-one years, to be exact.

Jake looks embarrassed, but you grin. Mr. Goosen has always been nice to you. Is it true? you ask. You and your wife are going to move out?

We already have, he says, staring up at the massive three-story house. He shoves his hands in his pockets and looks strangely sad. All that's left are things I can't take with me.

Can't take with you? Jake asks. You mean you've left stuff inside the house? For anyone?

Yes, there's still plenty left in the house. I have too much stuff, you know, from all my adventures. I don't know what will happen to it all, now. Mr. Goosen is a well-known traveler: African safaris, scaling the Himalayas. He's done it all!

You must be sad to leave so much, Emma says.

Not at all, he replies. The most important things are the memories! Got them all up here. He taps the side of his head.

Jake frowns with concentration. Well if you're not taking them, and you don't know what's going to happen to them...

Jake! Emma yells.

Mr. Goosen breaks out in a big smile. Actually, that's exactly what I wanted to talk to you about...

9

I have one daughter and four grandkids, and they've already taken what they wanted. Everything else is going to be destroyed!

Destroyed? Emma asks.

The person who bought my house wants to build a new one, he says. They're going to bulldoze the old one and everything inside. Mr. Goosen looks stricken by the thought.

That's terrible! you say.

Mr. Goosen points at you. Yes, it is. I'd hate for everything to go to waste... so how would you like to keep something from inside? As a thank you for always being such good neighborhood kids?

Yeah! Jake blurts out. He suddenly looks suspicious, and begins rolling his baseball between his fingers. What's the catch?

No catch at all, son, Mr. Goosen says. You three can go inside and take something before the bulldozers come.

When are the bulldozers coming? you ask.

Mr. Goosen pulls out a gold pocket watch, with a long chain connecting to his belt. It looks extremely valuable, with fine engraving on the back. First thing tomorrow morning. So you have plenty of time.

Plenty of time? You and Emma have to practice for your music test! You both look at one-another. Maybe if we just take a quick look... Emma says.

Oh, so you won't throw the ball with me, but you'll explore Mr. Goosen's house! Jake says.

You mean you don't want to go inside? you ask.

Jake's frown turns into a toothy grin. Okay, you got me. Of course I do!

Well then it's settled! Mr. Goosen exclaims, throwing his hands in the air. "The doors are locked, but the key is in the mailbox. OH! I almost forgot. I have many trinkets and treasures throughout my house, but you must promise me you will only take one thing. It can be any item of special value, but once you choose to take something, that's it!"

Just one? Jake says. Aww.

You all turn to look at the house. It looks like something out of a scary movie, dark and ominous.

Good luck! Mr. Goosen calls. And remember, just one item! He sounds farther away. You turn to thank him one last time... and he's gone! The three of you spin around, looking down each street, but he's nowhere in sight.

Wow, he must have been in a hurry to move, you say.

Jake runs to the mailbox and returns with an old, iron key, red with rust. In his other hand is a rolled-up piece of paper.

10

Hey look, it's a map of the house!

11

Coooool, Jake says. A billiard room? I bet there's some cool antique weapons in there. Like a battle ax or something. There's always cool stuff like that in a billiard room.

Emma looks concerned. Where's the rest of the map?

Huh? Jake asks.

This is just the first floor, Emma says, tapping the page. The house has two stories and a basement.

Jake gives an elaborate shrug. "Who cares? We can find our way around. It's not that big."

You take the key and look at the house. The front porch is dilapidated, with holes in the steps and spiderwebs in the corners. The door looks like it hasn't been opened in over a year. Which way do you want to go inside? you ask.

What do you mean? Jake says. We've got the key, let's go in the front door.

I don't know, it looks dangerous. You point to the side of the house, where there's a small path between the wall and the woods. We could try around back. The map says there's a back door.

Emma says, Or the basement. My mom and I used to help Mrs. Goosen move boxes around in the winter.

To keep things simple, open the front door ON PAGE 19

If you want to check the basement, TURN TO PAGE 32

If you'd rather try the backyard, TURN TO PAGE 14

12

The shadow approaches. You're about to bolt when you recognize his face. Mr. Goosen!

You scared us! Emma says.

He spreads his hands apologetically. Didn't mean to! I tried to say hello first, but I think the thunder muffled my words.

You sigh with relief. What are you doing out here?

"Oh, just taking one last look at my property. The rain chased me in here. As for what chased you in here... that was the rare Atraharsi Weeping Vine. Most botanists believe it to be extinct, but I managed to recover some bulbs in my travels."

It grew like a monster! Jake says.

"Yes, yes. Well. It is quite rare, and quite dangerous, which is what makes it most exciting! His smile disappears. Unfortunately, what is not exciting is that you three have left my house without retrieving a prize from inside."

You realize he's right. We can wait until the rain stops and go back inside. Jake and Emma share a skeptical look. It appears they've had enough for one night.

I'm afraid that's against the rules, Mr. Goosen says. He pulls out his gold pocket watch and considers the time. You had one chance, and that chance is over. Come on now. Let's get you three back home.

He leads you through the woods around the side of the house. The rain has let up by then, so that it's barely a drizzle. The sound of thunder booms in the distance as the storm rolls across the land.

This is as far as I go, he says, standing just at the edge of the woods. You three can make it home yourselves, I trust?

You don't know why, but it feels like you're abandoning Mr. Goosen. Are you sure we can't go back inside?

I'm sorry, Mike. Perhaps another time.

The three of you say goodbye